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McKay-Carter Intergalactic Gate Bridge
The McKay-Carter Intergalactic Gate Bridge, commonly referred to simply as the Gate Bridge, is a network of interconnected Stargates placed in the void between the Milky Way and Pegasus galaxies. Developed by the Tau'ri scientists Rodney McKay and Samantha Carter, for whom it is named, the bridge is designed to allow fast, convenient travel between Atlantis and Earth without the need for a ''Daedalus'' class ship or a Zero Point Module. Overview The bridge is composed of 34 Stargates taken from both the Pegasus and Milky Way gate systems, into which has been loaded a macro developed by Dr. McKay that forwards travelers directly from one Stargate to the next without rematerializing them. While the two gate systems are compatible, a Pegasus gate without a control crystal wouldn't be able to dial the Milky Way, just the "local" galaxy, and if a Pegasus gate and a Milky Way gate are in proximity to each other, the Pegasus gate holds priority. Therefore, a space station has been constructed at the midpoint between the two galaxies, where the two chains of Stargates meet, with a workaround allowing the Milky Way gate to hold priority for the Milky Way side and the Pegasus gate to hold priority for the Pegasus side, allowing transfer between them. There, it is intended that one need only step out of one Stargate and into the next. Travel time using the bridge is approximately 30 minutes, a drastic reduction from the weeks-long journey required via ship. Midway Space Station The Midway space station is a space station located between the Milky Way and Pegasus galaxies, serving as the midpoint of the McKay-Carter Intergalactic Gate Bridge. Structurally, the station was built around the two Stargates, and its interior was dominated by a single, expansive gate room. However, isolated rooms had been installed along either side of the structure, divided into two floors. The gates themselves were located in between these levels, accessible by ramps like in Stargate Command. Because the two gates were in such close proximity to each other, a work-around had to be created so that the Pegasus gate would not supersede the Milky Way gate, allowing both to dial. The other rooms include small living quarters for the personnel and travelers between the galaxies as well as at least one weapons room. Stargate operations are monitored by a control room on the upper level of the station. There also exists an air lock which includes space suits and a Puddle Jumper in case of an evacuation. History As of 2006, Midway Station was still incomplete, but the gate bridge itself was fully functional; Lt. Col. John Sheppard performed the inaugural intergalactic voyage using a Puddle Jumper. When the Asurans briefly took control of Atlantis, Gen. Hank Landry expressed concern that the gate bridge might be used to allow them access to the Milky Way. Even though Earth was protected by the Iris, the Asurans could potentially rewrite McKay's macro to send them to some other Stargate within the galaxy. When Sheppard and Dr. Elizabeth Weir mounted an operation to retake Atlantis, McKay himself managed to rewrite the macro to take them to the Athosians' new homeworld. Afterward, Landry wanted a way to disable the gate bridge; Dr. Lee suggested detonating a Mark IX warhead at Midway station. This plan was apparently not carried out, however, and the gate bridge remained intact. Following a viral outbreak in Atlantis, a 24-hour quarantine period was imposed on bridge travel to prevent such an occurrence resulting in a viral outbreak on Earth, all travelers proceeding to and from Atlantis being required to wait in Midway for the duration of this time. The gate bridge was rendered inactive at the beginning of 2008 when the Midway station was destroyed during an invasion of the Wraith. By 2011 the station had been rebuild and served as the major hub of intergalactic travel, but with stricter protocols in order to prevent another incursion by the Wraith. In 2014 plans were underway to greatly expand the Midway station, in order to provide recreation facilities for spaceships making the long intergalactic journey and to allow increased contact between the two galaxies. External links * Category:Tau'ri technology Category:Stargate